Where are the Moon, the Sun and the stars?

Question

Question: What is the nature of the seven levels of the earth and the heaven? Are the Moon and the Sun, one each, also present in the other levels or not? Also, the earth has seven levels — is there any level of the earth above the heaven as well or not? Also, it is popular among the common people that the lowest level of the earth is taht al-thara (the netherworld) and that it rests on the horn of a cow. Is this correct? What does the Shari‘a decide?

Answer

The Moon, the Sun and the stars are all below the heaven, in their orbits; they are neither set into the heaven nor suspended by a chain; rather, their order is maintained by natural attraction. The earth is below, not above the heaven. The earth being on the horn of a cow is among the fabricated reports (mawdu‘at); it is not in authoritative sound narrations.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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